Exercise by Exercise/ Calorie by Calorie...How to Burn Off that Thanksgiving Meal

Yesterday, I filmed my next "Charlotte Today" appearance, a special episode all about Thanksgiving and set to air the day after Thanksgiving.  Below is the outline of my presentation.

You're going to eat, eat, eat next Thursday, but why not plan ahead how you're going to work, work, work it off?!  In fact, why not come work it off WITH me with some classes at the Y or a few WODs at CROSSFIT S3?

And one last note of advice: treat your meal Thanksgiving day as ONE of the meals in your day, not the THE meal of your day.  Eat all of your favorite things, but stick to one helping of each.  And be sure to eat three meals that day...it will help you keep your holiday meal in check.

*So, it’s Thanksgiving, and we ARE going to eat...we’re going to eat BIG.  Let’s face it, it is un-American to not pig out on Thanksgiving.

*That meal can make you feel so sick, though...literally sick to your stomach...but also sick over what you just did to your diet plan.  

*You don’t have to let that giant meal derail you from your overall healthy lifestyle, though.  Don’t get discouraged and don’t give up after indulging...just work it off!

*Calorie by calorie and exercise by exercise, I’m going to lay out for you what it will take to work the average Thanksgiving meal off of those bones of yours.

*2 VERY IMPORTANT CAVEATS before I get into the details.  

1. Remember that we all have different Resting Metabolic Rates, meaning we all naturally burn calories at a different rate.  RMR is greatly determined by genetics, but is also determined by age, hormones, and lean body mass (how much muscle vs. fat do you have?). 
2. Further, everybody exercises at different intensity levels - calorie burn in exercise is greatly determined by how hard you go at it (and some people are just plain more willing and able to go to that icky super-intense zone in a workout).

TYPICAL T-GIVING MEAL (to gloss over; focus on total calories)

• 2 glasses of wine = 240 calories
• 6 oz. white and dark turkey = 340 calories
• 1/2 cup stuffing = 180 calories
• 1/2 cup gravy = 150 calories
• 1/2 cup green bean casserole = 225 calories
• 1/2 cup candied sweet potatoes = 150 calories
• 1 dinner roll = 110 calories
• 1 pat of butter = 45 calories
• salad w/ 1 tbsp. ranch dressing = 175 calories
• 1 slice of pecan pie (1/8 of pie) = 480 calories
• 1 slice of pumpkin pie (1/8 of pie) = 180 calories
• 1/2 cup whipped cream = 75 calories
• 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream topper = 145 calories
• 1 cup of coffee w/ creamer = 45 calories
• GRAND WHOPPING TOTAL = 2, 540 calories!!! - in one meal (avg. woman should eat b/w 1400 and 1800 kcal/ day; men b/w 2200 and 2600 or so kcal/ day)

-3500 calories = 1 lb. of fat!! (that’s almost a pound of fat in one meal)(eat 3500kcal => put 1 lb. of fat ON; to lose 1 lb. of fat, must burn an extra 3500kcal than you take in!)

WHAT IT TAKES TO GET IT OFF:

*There are great calorie calculators online (input your weight, your specific exercise, and the duration of work; it will spit out relatively accurate kcal output # for you)

-I used the one at www.healthstatus.com; all calorie calculations here are based on my weight of 142 lb.
*Only way to TRULY know your calorie burn: wear a heart rate monitor

*2 glasses of wine (240 kcal) = 20 min. of Jumping Rope (for me, a 140 lb. person)

-may fake jump rope (do w/o a rope)

-all different ways to jump rope: regular, high-knees, butt-kicking, skiing, slalom, jacking, single-leg, double-unders, etc.

*1 serving (6 oz.) of white and dark turkey (340 kcal) = 45 min. Climbing Stairs (for 140 lb. person)

-add a Medicine Ball to your stair workout to up the intensity and to decrease the amount of time required

-hold MB @ chest, overhead, out in front, single-arm, curl it, toss it, etc.

*1 serving (1/2 c.) of green bean casserole (225 kcal) = 20 min. of touch football in the front yard or basketball in the driveway

-the key = INTENSITY...play hard!!!  (just don’t take out any of your relatives)

*1 slice of pecan pie + 1/2 c. of whipped cream (555 kcal) = 1 hour of burpees (for a 155 lb. person)(~45 min. for a 180 lb. person)(~35 min. for 200 lb. person)

-demonstrate a burpee...could you do this for 1 whole hour straight???

-break it up into bits and pieces throughout the day - 10 min. here, 10 min. there

*1 pat of butter (45 kcal) = 5 min. vigorous rowing (on rowing machine)

*the entire 2500+ calorie Thanksgiving meal = 4 Athletic Conditioning classes w/ Erin @ the Y (avg. class burns b/w 600 and 700 kcal/ hour!!!)